Combating hunger

THE POLITICS OF HUNGER IN INDIA - A Study of Democracy, Governance and Kalahandi's Poverty: Bob Currie; Macmillan India Ltd., 21, Patullos Road, Chennai-600002. Price not mentioned.

A COMMON assumption in many contemporary contributions on welfare politics is that the lifeguard's responsibilities lie with the elected government in modern electoral political systems. This study has noted their responsibility for relief and welfare administration in India are rarely the concern of elected government alone. Instead public policy in these spheres functions more commonly through the nexus of a wider network of actors, including government departments, non-governmental organisations, private contractors, community organisations and other agencies. This book queries, ``Do people starve in democratic polities?'' and in an attempt to provide the answer, it seeks to identify the processes which generate and perpetuate hunger in India, and what sort of intentions by public and private agencies are best suited to combat this problem. This research draws on field work conducted in Orissa between 1992 and 1999.

Bob Currie, Lecturer in Development Politics at Hudersfield University, U.K., explains why problems of poverty and alleged starvation remain despite regular elections and extensive regional and national publicity.

The book consists of eight chapters, organised into two parts. Chapter one provides the introduction that opens up the question. ' Chapter two examines the relevance of political association for promoting security and well-being through a study of major theoretical contributions and policy statements.

The next chapter attempts to look beyond the narrow focus on formal institutional structures to explore how policy performance in the welfare sector is influenced not only by institutions, procedures and political events, but also by the beliefs, values and expectations that these generate in those participating in them.

In the second part, chapter four analyses the historical development of patterns of hunger, starvation and extreme poverty in Kalahandi and Nawapada. It also examines the evolution of structures of authority and power that have shaped people's access to food and other essentials; and explores the degree to which civil association and collective action have served to protect public welfare in these study districts.

Chapter five examines codified procedures in the Orissa Relief Code that specify how government officers should assist the public during times of emergency. Chapter six explores the practical functioning of relief and welfare operations maintained by the Government of Orissa in Nawapada and Kalahandi. The next chapter examines more fully the process of and outcomes of this critical evaluation of public policy in the laws of court, in news media and in political debate in parliamentary and non- parliamentary forum.

The next chapter draws broader policy implications from this discussion. Providing extensive analytical and statistical data, this book is of great value to social workers and policy makers in the field of social welfare.

GEORGINA PETER

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